It was after 3pm when I arrived, with Sadie and Zeke in my van. I had planned on taking them along the old rail road trail after the visit, an easy hike from town. Both dogs waited patiently in the van for me to drive off, but Chip said it would be OK to let the dogs out and sit with us while we chatted in the car port under the shade. Chip's three small dogs barked incessantly the entire time from the front yard while Sadie and Zeke were quiet. Sadie sniffed around the area but Zeke sat right next to me.
"Those are well-behaved dogs" complimented Chip.
"Yes, they are," I replied. That's the reason these two dogs travel the most with me.
Chip looked much better today than in previous visits. His white beard is filled out, the bags under his eyes are less pronounced, and he no longer sports a frail physique. He is more at ease again now that his DUI case from last fall was dismissed when the toxicology report came back revealing the only drugs in his system were the prescription drugs for his various ailments.
This was the first time we both were able to talk about Carol without either of us getting choked up. We are making progress.
I stayed until 5pm. The dogs were getting restless and the small dogs were not able to relax. On my way back home I decided to walk the old rail road trail near the Post Office, the same trail that EricT had used as a hike with the original MeetUp group. It had been so long since I walked it, I couldn't remember where the starting point was. I thought it was south of the post office. It's actually just north of it, on Bruce and Haskell streets and travels generally in a northeasterly direction on what once was the rail road.
I started the hike at 5:28pm. It was sunny and hot. I made a few wrong turns and had to climb up a hill before I could see the actual trail. It's farther north than I remember, and closer to SR80 than I thought. Once on the trail it was easy walking, albeit somewhat boring walking because the trail runs straight without any change in the scenery. Thornybush line the trail on either side. There were others out exploring these town trails, which show proof that ATVers and horses come here quite often. I was just out to exercise the dogs and get some miles in. My thoughts carried me through the monotony. I wanted to get to the old rail road trestle and the dry creekbed of Tombstone Gulch before turning around. My thoughts wdere interrupted a few times when Zeke spotted several groups of deer to chase. There were plenty of deer out tonight.
It's a three-mile walk on the old rail road trail to the Gulch. I got there as the sun was ready to set. This is where the trail gets scenic as it meanders down into the Gulch. A old spilldam is nearby. The trestle is badly eroded but the trail continues on the other side. Some day I'll explore this side of the trail. For today, though, I had to turn around while there was still some light. I didn't want coyotes to think my dogs were easy targets for a meal.
In some ways today's hike was in memory of all the great hikes I had with the people I met through MeetUp: Nina, Claire, Robert, EricT, SusanM, HollyW and HollyO, Bill and many more. We hardly seem to have time anymore to get together. HollyO is now in Alaska, HollyW is back to working parttime, EricT now lives in northern Arizona, Claire is now working and can't take off time to hike during the week, and Robert tries to avoid me. And soon Nina is moving to a new home in Vail, AZ, where trails near Tucson would be easier for her to reach.
The dogs enjoyed their walk even though they didn't have any water to drink. I was getting thirsty, too. There was water in the van, though, so I wasn't worried of the dogs suffering from thirst for long. With the cooler evening temperatures it was easier to continue hiking without feeling thirsty or having the low sun in my eyes. There were other people from the nearby Best Western Motel off SR80 walking the desert trails, perhaps to catch the sunset or moon rise. I could hear coyotes howl to my West.
I sped up my pace so that I wouldn't be out in the dark, but then I saw the moon. It looked full to me. Was this the full moon for the month? Did I get my dates wrong again? I have a full moon hike scheduled for the 12th.
The 5.6-mile walk took us 1:53 hours. It was dark when I finally made it back to the van. The dogs drank with gusto from the ice water I had in the water bowl for them and I stopped at the Family Dollar store in town for some iced tea. The walk alone tonight was a nice way to enjoy some solitude and mull over recent happenings both in my life and for the nation. This year promises to be a year of changes for us all.
Driving Charleston Road back to Sierra Vista, with its round hills and curves, always reminds me of Carol in her last year. I'll never overcome that sadness of losing her and knowing she was in such pain in her final days.
http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2118133793
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